Pollen is the most difficult airborne allergen to avoid, but there are still a number of things that you can do to minimize your exposure to pollen.

In your home:

Avoid open windows, attic fans, or any other unfiltered openings for pollen to get into your home. Instead, run your central air or a filtered window unit for air circulation. If you're torn between your allergies and the desire to open your windows on a pretty day, you can use window screen filters to keep pollen out.

Use high efficiency disposable or permanent furnace filters to help clean pollen out of the air.

Guard your bedroom as an allergy-safe zone... using a True Hepa Air Cleaner will capture 99.97% of all airborne allergens as small as .3 microns. That means not only pollen but also dust allergen, mold and animal dander in your home are removed.

Don't dry your clothes on an outside line where they can collect pollen. Instead dry them in a vented dryer.

Outdoor pets are covered in pollen. Wipe them down when you let them indoors and bathe them frequently. You should also avoid letting them track pollen onto your bed.

When working outdoors:

Avoid yardwork like mowing the lawn or raking leaves, which stirs up even more allergens than are already airborne. If you cannot avoid yardwork, wear a pollen mask.

Take a shower when you come inside to remove pollen from your hair and skin. Use a nasal irrigation system to remove pollen from your nasal passages and prevent the sniffles.

Your clothes and shoes collect pollen when you go out. When you get home, leave your shoes by the door and change clothes as soon as possible. This cuts down the time you spend in contact with pollen and the amount of pollen that you bring into your home.

When you're going out:

Keep car windows and sunroofs closed and the air on recirculate when traveling in your car to prevent pollen from making its way in. If that's not enough, consider using a portable HEPA air purifier that runs off the cigarette lighter in your car.

Keep in mind that pollen is at its worst on windy days, because the wind stirs even more pollen and it travels further. And, pollen is at its best after a prolonged rain, because the rain washes the pollen out of the air. Pollen counts are also higher in the morning, so try to wait until afternoon to do outside activities.

When planning your next vacation, consider traveling to areas like beaches where there is less pollen.